Several student organisations have remembered to speak out
International students are more likely to get into trouble because of the Coronavirus outbreak, particularly in the areas of finance and housing. It should be noted that the Dutch government has banned all evictions during the ongoing outbreak.
The Interurban Student Consultation (ISO), the National Student Union (LSVb) and the Erasmus Student Network Netherlands (ESN) have clubbed together to say that the outbreak “reinforces the problems and in some cases leads to impossible situations. That is why we are calling on the government and institutions to be lenient”, reports OOGTV.
Because of the outbreak, side jobs have been lost, parents are less able to provide support in countries where government support is less prevalent, and exchange rates are often very unfavorable due to the crisis. This makes it increasingly difficult to meet the obligations for high rents and tuition fees that are routinely four times the amount Dutch and EU students pay.
The crisis has also increased feelings of stress, especially among young people. Angelo Bekkens, a board member at ESN said: “the international students who are still in The Netherlands cannot fall back on the same social network as Dutch students. The lack of integration and social inclusion has major implications for the well-being of these students.”
Image via Flickr User John Blyberg. License here.
